Apparatus for sulfur-mining



R. E. CARMICHAEL.

APPARATUS FUR SULFUR MINING.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. M1919.

Patented Dec.. 9, 1919.

UNITED sTATEs 'PATENT oEEIoE.

.ROBERT E. -CARMICHAEL, 4OF DAMON, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 GEORGE HAMMAN, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

APPARATUS Foa SULFUR-MINING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented nee. e, rois.

Application filed February 1, 1919. Serial No. 274,492.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ROEERT E. CAR' MICHAEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Damon, Brazor-ia county, Texas, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Sulfur-Mining, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

y invention relates to apparatus for sulfur mining but has particular application to apparatus used in mining subterranean sulfur by means of pumping a heated fluid down into contact with the sulfur strata and then pumping the fused sulfur from the ground. In this system of obtaining sulfur, a mine or well is drilled down through the overlying strata of earth and rock to the sulfur deposit. Into this well is introduceda system of concentric pipes which serve to conduct the heating fluid into the Well and to the well.

Hot water, steam or other thermal solvent in introduced under pressure into contact with the sulfur bearing strata thus serving to fuse the sulfur, which will run down in a molten condition into the bottom of the well. The pressure of the ,heated fluid forced down the outer pipes, serves to raise the level of the sulfur in a central sulfur outer pipe toward the surface of the ground. e upward course of the molten sulfur is assisted by means of a current of air or steam which is forced down another pipe and discharged near the lower end of the sulfur pipe thus bubbling up through the sulfur and acting to discharge a current of the same from the sulfur outlet pipe.

The main object of my invention is to provide a means of introducing air into the sulfur return pipe from the outside thereof and of using a central pipe of smaller dimension than the sulfur. outlet pipe by means of which mud or other similar substance may be discharged into the bottom of the well for the purpose of cutting off inilowing currents of salt' water and thus serving to keep the sulfur in a molten con'- dition until the same may be pumped to the surface.

It is not uncommon in digging sulfur wells to drill the hole down4 through the sulfur strata for a distance sufficient to open raise the fused sulfur from up inllowing currents of cold water, usually salt, already present in the ground. This results in overcoming the effects of the hot water pumped down into the well in contact with the sulfur and in some instances said cold water flows into the well in such volume as to congeal the sulfur before it can be pumped tothe surface. By my method of pumping a current of mud down through a central pipe, I contemplate choking up channels through which the salt water finds entrance into the sulfur bearing rock and thus make it possible to obtain sulfur which would otherwise be lost. The apparatus which I use in connection with my invention is a modification of the apparatus disclosed in my patent, Serial No. 1,287,879, issued December 17, 1918.

Referring to the drawings forming a part of this specification, Fig. l is a central longitudinal section through the lower part of my apparatus and Fig. 2 is a similar broken section through the upper part of the same. In the drawings, like numerals are applied to like parts throughout the views. The walls of the well are reinforced near the upper part thereof by an outer casing l. This casing is extended downwardly under ordinary circumstances. to seat upon the rock strata.

The outer pipe 2 of my system of'pipes is extended downwardly into the well and is anchored at its lower end by being threaded, as at 5, to the compound coupling 4, said'coupling being in practice attached to the upper end of an anchoring pipe not shown. The lower part of the pipe 2 for the full depth of the sulfur strata is perforated at 3 to furnish an outlet for the heating fluid. The upper end of the pipe 2 projects-above the ground for a short distanceand terminates in a T joint 7 having at its upper end the stuffing box 11, whereby it lits fluid tight around the next inner concentric pipe 12. The lateral inlet pipe 8 is connected to the T 7 onone side while on y lll@ 2. It is spaced well within the outer pipe f ing annular flange 33 upon the sul Va point 14 intermediate its ends.

to provide a wide space 15 for the circulating fluid and it increases in diameter at Immediately below this enlargement, it is provided with a series of outer packing rings 18 held between the coupling 16 and the locking ring 17. 'Below the coupling the pipe 12 is imperforate, but at the point 11 of enlargement and immediately thereabove, itis perforated, as shown at 19, to allow the inlet of the necessary volume of heatin fluid which is pumped downwardly within the y space 15. The air pipe 2.0, next' within the slidable pipe 12, .has at its upper end an inlet pipe 24 leading to an air compressor or steam boiler not shown. The stuffing box 26, at the upper end of thepipe 20, receives the sulfur outlet pipe 27. The pipe 20 is imperforate throughout its length except near the bottom of the well where it is perforated as at 22. The lower end of the pipe is threaded into the anchoring coupling 4 by means of a reducing swage 25, threaded to a smaller pipe 21, as showin in Fig. 1. At a point above theperforations 22, the pipe has an annular inwardly ex tending flan e 23 throughl which the next inner pipe 2 fits loosely.

The next inner pipe 27 is the sulfur outlet pipe. It has an upper elbow 30 leading to the sulfur receptacle, not shown.4 1t is provided with an oppositely extending opening which is closed by the stulling box 6 through lwhich the inner mud conveying pi e passes with a fluid tight it. The pipe 2 is pro# vided-near its lower end with an outer flange or ring 28, fitting loosely within the pipe 20. This flange will, in its lowest position, seat upon the flange 23 previously described, and close the passage between the pipes 20 and 27. At some point spaced above the closure 23, I perforate the pipe 27 as shown at 29, said perforations being few in number. These perforations allow air from the pipe 20 to find entrance to the sulfur pipe and assist in raising said sulfur to the surface.

The innermost pipe 31 serves to conduct the current of mud or other foreign substance downwardly into the well. 1t is imperforate throughout its length and terminates at a point adjacent the lower perforated (portion 22 of the pipe 20. 1t is provide at a point spaced slightly from the lower end with an outwardly projecting flange or ring 32, which serves to seat, in its lowest position, upon an inwardly rojectfiir conveying pipe 27.` The said pipe 27 is perforated abovethe closure formed by these two contacting flanges in order to provide an entrance for the fused sulfur into the outlet pipe, as will be' obvious. A p

In the operation of this device the heat,- ing fluid is forced down under pressure through the inlet pipe 8 and into the space between the pipes 2 and 12 until its further progress in this space is stopped by the packstuffing box 11 and fitting tightly upon the A inner pipe 20 by means of the stuiing box 13. The level at which the heating fluid is projected upon the sulfur may thus be regulated as desired.-

Sulfur melted by the said heating Huid runs down .into the lower part of the well where it finds entrance through the perforations 3 and 22 to the sulfur outlet pipe 27. When adverse currentsA of cold water are flowing in around the lower end of the well, this molten sulfur will be congealed to such an extent that only a comparatively small portion will be carried upwardly to the surface. Such sulfur as does flow in through the perforations into the lower part of the sulfur'outlet pipe 27 will be raised somewhat by the pressure of the liuid pumped into the well and partly by the compressed air or steam bubbling through the openings 29 into the molten sulfur, thus serving to lift a current of the same upwardly through the outlet pipe 30 to a receptacle not shown. When it is found that the sulfur is not owing properly due to the cold current flowing into the lower part of the well,'mud or other foreign substance will be pumped downwardly through the central pipe 31 to the lower end of my system of pipes and will pass outwardly through the perforations in the different pipes and by finding lodgment in the bottom of the well will serve to ll up the channels through which the cold water inds entrance 31 will not be necessary in all wells, but will only beused where it is found that the cold currents of salt water are acting to limit the flowof melted sulfur. When not required, the pipe 31 may be vwithdrawn from the outer system and the apparatus will otherwise operate in the manner described.

Having thus described my inventionithe further advantages of which will be obvious, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: y

1. 1n a system of pipes for sulfur mining,

an outer perforated pipe, an inner imperforate mud inlet plpe, an intermediate s111- fur outlet pipe, means to raise the sulfur from the mine, said mud inlet pipe extendperforated pipe, an inner mud inlet pipe, .an intermediate sulfur outlet pipe, means to raise the sulfur from the well, an inwardly projecting ange on said sulfur outlet plpe and an outer flange on said mud 15 pipe forming a seal to close the lower end of the sulfur pipe so that the mud may be discharged below said sulfur while the sulfur is being mined.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my 20 signature this the 27th day of January, A. D. 1919.

ROBERT E. CARMICHAEL. 

